Jewelry cleaning device



June 30, 1953 T. J. SHANAHAN, JR

JEWELRY CLEANING DEVICE Filed Nov. 1, 1950 Patented June 30, 1953 UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE JEWELRY CLEANING DEVICE I Thomas J. 'S-hanahan, Jr., Chicago, 111. Application November 1, 1950, Serial No. 193,444

2 Claims. (01. 134- -143) This invention relates generally to jewelrycleaning devices, and more particularly to an improved jewelry cleanerespecially adapted for the cleaning of finger rings and suitable for usein the home.

Finger rings, when worn for everyday tasks, become dirty in a relativelyshort period of time, particularly if they are the type having stonesset therein or engraved or filigree work thereon. Many persons cleantheir rings from time to time, usually by using an ammonia or soapsolution and a small brush, such as a tooth brush. The cleaning solutionserves to soften the deposited dirt, and the brush is used. to removethe softened material from the surfaces and crevices of the ring. Thisprocedure is not very satisfactory for two reasons, namely, because itis awkward to brush a solution onto a small article like a ring withoutspattering the solution and because the action of the brush, necessaryto loosen the dirt, frequently loosens the stones in their settings,withthe result that they are likely to drop out and become lost.Moreover, when the ring must be held in the fingers and the solutionbrushed on, strong solutions which might injure the skin, eyes orclothing of the person cleaning the ring cannot be used because of thespattering. If the ring is dropped into a container. of solution, oneside of it will rest on the bottom of the container and will not beexposed to the solution. Also there is no assurance that the solutionwill get into all of the interstices in order to attack dirt therein.

Accordingly, one object of this invention is to provide a jewelrycleaning apparatus suitable for use in the home, in which strongsolutions may be used without danger to the person using the apparatus.

Another object is to provide a cleaning apparatus in which the cleaningsolution reaches all spaces in which dirt may be lodged and with whichno harmful brushing which might loosen settings or damage the jewelry isrequired.

Another object is to provide an apparatus in which various solutions maybe used successively without the necessity for handling the jewelrybetween each stage.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will present themselvesto those'familiar with the art upon reading the following specificationin conjunction with the drawing and the appended claims.

In the drawing:

Fig. l is a front view showing a ring cleaning set constructed inaccordance with this invention;

Fig.2 is a vertical section showing the construction of one of thebottles of the set;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing a preferred form of the ring holderassembly;

Fig. 4 is a View similar to Fig. 3 of a modified form of ring holderassembly; and

Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing the plate.

A fundamental concept of this invention is to provide a set of. bottlesor jars containing different cleaning solutions, each. jar having areadily removable closure and anovel element for supporting finger ringsor. other articles of jewelry substantially at the center of the bottle,the element being carried. by the bottle closure and adapted to firmlysupport the article of jewelry at the center of the jar. The bottles areshaped so that they may be conveniently grasped in the hand and shakento cause the cleaning solution therein to pass back and forth over thearticle being cleaned, thus insuring that the solution will reach everypart of the. article and producing an agitating action which dislodgesdirt softened by the solvent action of the solutions. 7

A set of three jars, H, [2 and- IS, is shown in Fig. 1. These jars. arepreferably identical, but, if desired, two of the jars may be providedwith ordinary closures, only one of the jars having a jewelrysupporting. element l4 attached to the closure.

The construction of the preferred form of jewelry supporting element Mis shown in Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawing. The jar H is provided with ascrew closure element l5, adapted to be threadably attached to the mouthof the jar II in the conventional manner. A. circular plate It is.pressed into the inside of the closure i5, serving as a sealing gasketat the edge of the closure. as well as. a. support for the element M.The central portion. of the plate is is dished downwardly as indicatedat ll to provide a fiat circular cavity [8 between the plate l6 and theclosure l5,

The supporting element ['4 is preferably formed of spring wire which. isbent to the shape shown in broken lines in Fig. 3 and tempered. This isthe normal resting position of. the-supporting element I4. The element.is assembled with the plate l6 by pressing the twolegs 26 together untiltheir ends touch and passing the ends through an elongated slot 2'! inthe bottom of the dished portion IT, the element beingpushed all. theway down until the S bent portion 22at its upper end lies in the dishedportion. I! of the plate I5. The resiliency of the legs 20 then holdsthe element in the position shown in Fig 3, and the plate It may then bepressed into the closure l5. If desired, a separate gasket below thplate 16 may be used to seal the closure to the mouth of the jar H inthe conventional manner For the purpose of supporting an article ofjewelry such as the ring 23, on the element 14, the ends of the legs 20are bent inwardly as indicated at 2 4 to provide hooks 24 which engagethe inside of the ring 23. The width of the jar II is substantiallygreater than the normal unstressed width of the legs 20 to avoidinterference between the leg 20 and the sides of the jar and to provideample spac for the liquid 25 to flow back and forth over the article tobe cleaned.

To mount the ring on the element It, the legs 20 are pressed inwardly,passed through the ring and allowed to spring outwardly so that thehooks 24 engage the inside of the ring. Other articles of jewelryusually have a pair of opposed faces which the hooks 24 may engage.

After the article of jewelry is supported on the hooks the closure if isscrewed onto the jar H, the jar having been filled to the levelindicated with the cleaning solution 25. To clean a ring, the jar ll isthen shaken vigorously for a short period of time to agitate thesolution, causing it to fiow back and forth over the ring 23. Arecommended procedure is to first shake the jar vigorously, for aboutthirty seconds, to insure that all parts of the ring have been wet bythe solution. Th jar may then be left to stand for alonger period oftime until the solution has had a chance to soften the dirt deposits, atwhich time the jar may again be agitated vigorously for a short periodof time to loosen the softened dirt and clean the ring. The closure 55is then unscrewed and the ring may be rinsed in running Water before itis removed from the supportin element M.

In the case of the preferred embodiment illustrated in Fig. l, theclosure is also rinsed after removal from the jar H and transferred tothe second jar l2 containing a second cleaning solution having acomposition diiferent from that of the first jar. The procedure is thenrepeated. After the second cleaning operation the closure carrying thering 23 is again rinsed and transferred to the third jar (3 whichcontains a volatile solvent such a alcohol, in which the ring is shakena third time. third jar 13, the ring 23 may be air dried withoutremoving it from the element 14. Thus it will be seen that the completecleaning operation may be accomplished without the operator having tohandle the ring or come into contact with any of th cleaning solutions.If all of the jaws are provided with ring holders, the closures I may berotated, simultaneously cleaning three articles of jewelry as acontinuou operation.

A combination of solutions which has worked out quite successfully is toprovide an aqueous solution of ammonia in one jar, and a solution of anon-suds-forming detergent in the second jar, followed by a solution ofalcohol or acetone in the third jar. The use of two different cleaningsolution is preferred because such solutions are somewhat selective intheir action. loosen dirt or dissolve particles which the other willnot. The alcohol or acetone solution serves two purposes in that it notonly dissolves certain organic materials which may not be attacked bythe'other cleaning solution but also provides for quick, spot-freedrying of the rings after the On removal from the I One will a cleaningis complete, by dissolving any water left after rinsing which mightotherwis evaporate leaving a surface deposit of dissolved salts on thejewelry.

In Fig. 4 another modification of the invention is shown. In thisembodiment the top of the element Ida/i merely bent to the side at aright angle. This form of the invention may be preferred, from theproduction point of view, for the assembly of th element Ila and theplate 15 is simplified. To assemble the two, the top of the element [4is merely pushed through the slot 2! and bent over sideways to hold theelement [la in the proper position. Once the plate I5 has been pressedinto the closure I5 the element I40. is held perpendicular to the plate.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent that a novel jewelrycleaning device has been provided which is superior to those previouslyknown and which fulfills the objects set forth.

Other modifications such as will present themselves to those familiarwith the art may be made without departing from the spirit of thiinvention whose scope is commensurat with the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A device for cleaning finger rings which comprises a wide-mouthed jarfor containing fluid solvent and adapted for screw-to closure, a closureelement for said jar having a flat interior seating surface, a platedisposable between said closure element and said screw-adapted mouth ofsaid jar, said plate being formed with a shallow central dishedindentation and having within said indentation an elongated slot ofpredetermined width, and a support element which comprises a memberformed of wire stock smaller than said slot width and provided with atransverse looped base portion adapted to reside within said plateindentation and two springably diverging leg elements symmetrical andopposite in formation, each of said leg elements having a semi-circularinwardly bent hook extremity, and both of said hook extremitiesconstituting the sole support for a finger ring or similar articleplaced therewithin for submergence within said jar.

2. An apparatus for cleaning a finger ring or like object whichcomprises a receptacle for containing a level of liquid cleaningsolvent, a closure element for screw fitting and sealing engagement withsaid receptacle, a plate disposable between said closure element andsaid receptacle formed with a shallow central indentation having a slottherethrough, and a support member for finger rings suspended withinsaid cleaning fluid which comprises an element formed of wire stockhaving a base portion adapted to be confined between said indentationand said closure element and having a pair of spring fingers insertablethrough said slot, said spring fingers being symmetrical and oppositeand each having a semicircular hook inwardly directed whereby to embracebetween said finger hooks a finger ring or similar article underconditions of minimum interior surface engagement.

THOMAS J. SHANAHAN, JR.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 1,586,535 Poclel June 1,1926 1,907,681 Sundee May 9, 19331,963,563 Slepicka June 19, 1934 2,362,251 Eggleton Nov. 7, 1944

